A physician, drawing on medical science, told a young Anguillian mother that her daughter, a victim of a rare disease, might not live to see her first birthday.
But little Nekia Hodge turned three years old on Tuesday, December 12, and her birthday, more than that – her life - was celebrated with a thanksgiving service at the Church of God of Prophecy just before sunset.

Nekia Hodge

Nekia’s mother, Nicola Carty, is very closely attached to her daughter who was born with Edward Syndrome or Trisomy 18. The illness is a serious chromosome abnormalty that is nearly always fatal in the first days or months after birth.
Mother’s love led Nicola, a practising architect, to give up her office job and to work privately at home in order to be able to render the loving care to Nekia which no other person can give.
She must be constantly alert around the child, turning her over and massaging her to avoid life-threatening seizures and other attacks.
She recently took little Nekia to Barbados to see a neuro-surgeon and is to take her to another specialist in Puerto Rico in January.
But the child is also getting some good therapy from Physio-Therapist, Khalidah Banks, at the Welches Polytechnic.
Nicola is coping well with her ailing daughter whom she gets to laugh and play ever so often.
If she needs any assistance, from any donor, it is to help pay for the occasional overseas travel and treatment for the child.
Nicola has three other children at her home. Two of them, her own, are Lequoni, 5, Nekoye, 1, and Jahshaun, 6, their half brother.

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